Ellie Hudson-Heck

Freshman Ellie Hudson-Heck scored a career-high six goals, with one sending the game to overtime, and two others coming during extra periods, including the game-winner in a sudden-victory scenario, which propelled The College of Wooster past top-seeded Wittenberg University 14-13 on Thursday evening in the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals at Springfield, Ohio.

The Fighting Scots (13-4) will now visit No. 2 seeded Kenyon College (12-2), which dropped Denison University (13-3) by a 12-8 margin, in the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament championship game on Saturday.

Wooster played from behind for the majority of the contest, and trailed by three goals, 10-7, about a third of the way through the second half. At that juncture, the Scots went on a four-goal scoring run, as Hudson-Heck, Molly Sennett, Kelly Brethauer, and Shelby Stone each registered tallies over a quick 3:52-spurt which gave Wooster its first lead of the game at 11-10.

Wittenberg tied it up at 11 with 11:10 remaining in regulation, and the score stayed that way until Nicolette Lyons pumped in what appeared to be the game-winner with 1:46 to go.

Wooster wasn't done yet, though, as it earned a free-position shot with just two ticks left on the clock, and Hudson-Heck rifled it in to knot the game 12-12 and send it to overtime.

Hudson-Heck's momentum carried over into the first overtime period, as she scored again to give Wooster back the lead, 13-12. But moments later, Logan Warye pumped in her seventh goal of the game to force a second extra stanza, this time, with sudden-victory rules in effect.

Finally, Hudson-Heck was able to put the Tigers away for good, as she beat the 'keeper for the sixth time about half way through the period on another free-position shot to cap off a remarkable stretch of clutch goals and send the Scots to the NCAC Tournament finals.

Along with Hudson-Heck's six goals, Clare Nelson-Johnson added a hat trick with three first-half goals, while Sennett and Stone chipped in two apiece, and Brethauer had one goal and one assist. Eliza Perry also was credited with an assist.

Defensively, Shawna Ferris made 14 saves, with four coming during the first overtime period, including one where she fended off a challenging two-on-one fast break. Emily Turnbull (3 caused turnovers, 2 groundballs) and Kari Martyniak (2 caused turnovers, 6 groundballs) stood out on the stat sheet as well, as did Alison Schlothauer with six draw controls.